Get theNewsletter

Florida’s Controversial MMJ Director Resigns

Christian Bax, Director of Florida’s Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU), has resigned, the News Service of Floridareports. Bax was often blamed for delays and difficulties in awarding licenses in Florida’s young medical cannabis market.

One of Bax’s staunchest critics is John Morgan, an Orlando trial lawyer who was the primary backer of Florida’s medical cannabis constitutional amendment. Morgan was jubilant at the news of Bax’s resignation.

“He was so inept that it had to be intentional. Anyone would be better and more capable. He was to health care in Florida what Barney Fife was to law enforcement. This is a great day for the sick and injured in Florida.” — John Morgan, in an email

Some still defend Bax, however, saying it’s easy to expect hardships when developing a market from scratch that’s expected to handle $2 billion in sales. Bax’s predecessor, Patty Nelson, passed the post on to Bax due to the job’s difficulty, choosing instead to become a private consultant.

“There’s no denying it’s a hard job. It sometimes feels like an impossible job. And you face critics from every direction, which makes it difficult to navigate.” — Patty Nelson, via News Service of Forida

Taking over for Bax is the Deputy Director of the OMMU, Courtney Coppola. Coppola’s first challenge will be a fresh wave of applications for new medical cannabis licenses; more than 400 applicants are expected for just four available licenses.

Pat Beggan

Patrick Beggan is a writer and photographer based in Bellingham, Washington. After serving as a US Army medic, he developed a passion for natural and herbal medicine that led him to the West coast. As a photographer, he strives to capture mood & narrative simultaneously to create images that speak volumes.

We're proud to support:

DISCLAIMER: Ganjapreneur.com is intended as an educational resource for law-abiding professionals and those who are curious about entrepreneurial and/or investment opportunities in emerging markets. We do not offer investment advice, and we encourage all visitors and readers to do their own due dilligence before investing in any of the companies or markets that we write about. Be advised that possessing, using, distributing and selling cannabis are all federal crimes in the United States of America and the articles, pages, links, and other types of information on this site are not intended to assist you in violating federal law. Ganjapreneur.com and all associated entities and individuals are not responsible for third party content and/or links published on this website.